If you’ve been following my intermittent updates on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve just passed all 6 exams of the new ARE 5.0 version. Several of you have reached out in that time to ask for some advice: which exam to take first, what study materials I use, or any other advice at all, so I thought I’d write a blog post or two on the subject in the hope that it can help at least one of you achieve the same goal!
First off, studying for these tests feels similar to how Arch School felt. You’re paying someone (NCARB) to work on a bunch of material that you also paid for, and suffering a little or a lot, to prove to the “Authority Having Jurisdiction” that you’re worth passing through the system. FUN.
So let’s break it down into less daunting chunks, shall we? Please remember while reading this that no two people learn in exactly the same way, and that these are the methods I intuitively devised for MY OWN success. Hopefully my tactics can help you narrow down what yours are!
study materials!
I primarily used the ARE 5 Review Manual, Practice Problems and Practice Tests published PPI, and written by David Ballast and Steven O’Hara. You could hurt someone with the massive Review Manual, but it contains everything you need to know…for the most part. Even managing to get through the entire guide before an exam, I was unprepared for several of the topics being tested. With a bit of strategy and informed guessing, you can still make it through the iffy parts.
For my first few tests, I also purchased the Kaplan study guides, now published by Brightwood Education. My experience is that these guides present a reduced amount of information in a much longer format. When preparing for the Practice Management test, I made it to the end of the Brightwood guide, only to find I couldn’t answer many of the practice problems correctly. I spent my last three days speed reading Ballast and answering practice questions. I estimate that I learned 50% more new information during those last few days than I had during the previous month of studying the Brightwood book.
A good thing to remember is that the exam is directly testing you on the standard documents of architectural practice. These are the IBC, IRC, amendments to both codes such as the Energy Code, and the AIA contracts, to name a few. If you want to more fully understand a concept in the study material you find confusing, find where that same topic is referenced in the code or the contracts, online or in your office’s code books. Googling also helps!
There are other study materials out there, like ArchiFlash flash cards, video-based format study guides, and summarized notes created by private individuals. Platforms like StudyBlue allow people to create their own flash cards, and you can either create your own or pay to use pre-made cards from other users. (These are created by ARE candidates like yourself, so remember that information may be misrepresented.)
BASIC STRATEGIES THAT WORKED FOR ME:
Take notes
There is a large amount of reading to get through! By writing down what I’ve just read, I ensure that I’ve processed the information, and the act of writing helps to keep me focused when there are distractions around.
Contrastingly, a colleague who has also passed his tests on the first try only reads, and never writes anything down at all. It works for him. Whatever you do, find a way to keep your mind on the subject matter while reading.
Study during lunch
Say your test is in a month. You start studying at the beginning of that month, and you’re moving through the book and learning, but then something comes along to distract you. It could be an important work project, or something that needs to be dealt with at home. Suddenly a week slips by and you haven’t opened the book once. Now there are two weeks until your test and 200 pages of study material to read and remember! Gulp.
Try to avoid this phenomenon! Study more frequently. Even 30 minutes of focused reading can keep your mind processing the topic at hand. It’s easier to get the studying in when I open the book for shorter spans in the morning, during the day, and at night.
Set magnitude goals and stick to them.
Write yourself little sticky notes of encouragement and place them at the end of each section in the book. Don’t let yourself get lunch, check Instagram or text someone until you make it to the next sticky note.
Determine a goal of how far you need to get in a given amount of time. I used (# of sections remaining) / (T-x) where T is the day of the test and x is represented in days. While writing this (pre-PDD exam) I have 14 remaining sections / 10 remaining days, so I should be averaging 2 sections per day if I want to have some time for practice problems at the end. This also allows time for slacking off earlier in the schedule. I find it’s realistic to make it through 2 Ballast chapters a day, taking notes.
Something I started doing to remember to keep moving is set a timer or stopwatch and go for an average of 5 minutes per page. Of course some pages have more than 5 minutes’ worth of information, especially if the topic is unfamiliar to you, but it’s helpful to keep up the pace when you’re 4 hours in and really want to finish one last chapter.
do the practice questions!
You will get a feel for the variety of topics presented in each test by doing the practice questions and exams. When checking your answers, read the explanations given with each question and make sure you understand exactly why the answer is what it is. Google everything you don’t understand. Sometimes several multiple choice answers are correct, but they’re looking for the answer that is MOST correct. It’s very annoying, but if you’ve practiced choosing the BEST answer, you’re already thinking like the test.
I always learned a lot of new things when doing practice questions, so make sure to give yourself a minimum of three days for this part! Prioritize sleep for at least two nights preceding your test, and especially try to take it easy the night before.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
GIVE YOUR NOGGIN A REST.
For someone my age, this test is based on memory, reasoning, and logic, with bonus points for experience. While studying and in the testing center, you will have to think harder and for longer durations than you’re used to. Mental exhaustion is real. It’s draining and disheartening.
One way to combat this feeling is by allowing your mind to stop for a minute and instead induce some physical tiredness. Having a tennis match already scheduled on a Saturday helped force me to compartmentalize the studying into a smaller portion of the day and take a break! If you’re able, taking lunch off to go for a run or biking to and from work can provide your body with just enough of a challenge that it will take over from your conscious mind. Your brain can rest and recharge during this time, and the blood will start flowing again. More oxygen to the brain = better remembering power!
Take a day off FROM STUDYING!
I’ve talked above about studying consistently throughout the day, but it doesn’t always apply! While studying for this last test, I pushed so hard that by a week out, I was drained of all energy. I was studying in the morning before work, on the train, during lunch, and after work until bedtime. After a week of this, I was so mentally drained that I snapped at work. I started taking it out on the people closest to me, who were actually being incredibly supportive. I wasn’t able to work or study efficiently anymore. This is not the goal.
While passing the ARE may be important to you as part of your career, it’s not THAT important that you should let it mess with your life! So I took all of Friday off. No studying, just some Netflix after work, a few glasses of wine, and bedtime. By Saturday morning, I had gotten my motivation back, and was able to focus for two productive days, which I’m convinced made all the difference in my passing score.
Most importantly, don’t study to pass. Study to learn!
Remember that while your immediate goal is to pass your exams and achieve licensure, the information you’re learning can only improve your understanding of the forces at work in any project you’re involved in. This will make it possible for you to participate more fully in projects, and be an effective and invaluable member of your team.
Good luck! I’m interested in your progress and I’d love to hear how you’re all doing. Let me know if there are other important study methods that worked for you!
